EPK – Plague Weaver – Ascendant Blasphemy (EP) (2021)
Publicist – Jon Asher – asher[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Rotting Christ, Varathron, old Samael, Triptykon, Dissection
Album Title: Ascendant Blasphemy
Release Date: February 26, 2021
Label: Self-Release
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“From the moaning leads to the slow lurching cadence and the deep monstrous roars, the opening of the title song sounds like the beginning of a death/doom track, but although that oppressive feeling of plague and decay persists, the band also pitch into fits of percussive mayhem, fevered riffing, and vocal madness, and they stitch flickering bits of guitar lunacy into the song as well.” – No Clean Singing (2020 Review – Through The Sulfur Eyes)
““Through The Sulfur Eyes” is a solid EP… the overall sound that is achieved is impressive… PLAGUE WEAVER has an interesting doom-like black metal sound that works well with layered deep and high-pitched vocals. I think fans of doom metal and black metal aficionados will appreciate this one.” 8/ 10 – Metal Temple (2020 Review – Through The Sulfur Eyes)
“Through The Sulphur Eyes takes the best from Death, Black and Post Black and uses that metallic cocktail shaker from hell to greatest effect. The outcome is a fiery Extreme Metal piece that made us go for seconds a few times in a row. A true, blazing hot slab of alloy that will please the sturdiest of metalheads.” – Rock Music Raider (2020 Review – Through The Sulfur Eyes)
“breaking through to listeners in 2020 is a seriously steep hill to climb and bands have to either push the envelope, do something that can’t be found elsewhere, or just amaze and electrify with each release to grab attention and stay relevant. Plague Weaver do all that on Through the Sulphur Eyes and it’s up to you to show them how good a job they’ve done. What I’m saying is, go buy it. Now.” – Nine Circles (2020 Review – Through The Sulfur Eyes)
“Through crawling malignancy is how Plague Weaver approach their art, and these songs are filled with grim mood and malevolent auras” – Indy Metal Vault
“There’s a darkness running throughout Through the Sulphur Eyes that is quite powerful… The riffs are weighty, drenched in a toxic malaise, yet also possessing the razor-sharp cutting edge of underground black metal. It’s a captivating combination, that moves forward at a steady, relentless pace. What really lingers though is a feeling of uncleanliness; this music is corrosive, carrying with it a taint of infection and, well, plague.” – The Sound Not The Word (2020 Review – Through The Sulfur Eyes)
Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics
Album Title: Ascendant Blasphemy
Release Date: February 26, 2021
Label: Self-Release
Track Listing:
1. Nothing Is Sacred (5;24)
2. Lay Fire (4:34)
3. Blood Runs Not (4:17)
4. Seek To Betray (4:34)
5. Upheaval and Arson (5:29)
6. Of Quivering Doves (4:34)
7. Deicidal Usurper (4:37)
8. In Exitium Caeli (4:41)
Album Length: 38:12
Album Credits:
• All songs performed by: Plague Weaver
• All songs written by: RM/JC
• Produced by: RM
• Mixed by:RM
• Mastered by:RM
• Album Artwork by: Gustave Dore
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
Album Band Line Up:
JC – voc
RM – guitars/bass/keyboards
Discography:
2019 – “Plague Weaver” EP
2020 – “Through the Sulphur Eyes” EP
2021 – “Ascendant Blasphemy” LP
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The album described as a whole by the band:
Ascendant Blasphemy is a pretty cold journey from start to finish. The album’s tracks are quite diverse in terms of tempo, and sonic tone. There are equal parts mid and fast-paced tracks, with a couple of slow, doomy ones near the end, to help bring everything to a close. This album confidently pulls the listener in a few choice directions. With confident composition, the instrumentals lay a framework for powerful, diverse, and seemingly uncontrolled vocals. The riff-driven style is bound to attract some death metal listeners in addition to BM heads looking for something grim to bang their heads to.
Track by track explained by the band:
1 – Nothing Is Sacred
The album opener. This song starts off with a low-mid tempo, as it attempts to welcome the listener. The track quickly explodes into the verse sections with a faster tempo and more energetic vocals. The bridge introduces some extra guitar leads, and prepares the listener for the repetitive outro vocals, repeating the phrase ‘Nothing is Sacred. Let it be done.’
2 – Lay Fire
‘Lay Fire’ is a great example of just how fast, mean, and cold Plague Weaver can be. The main riffs ‘run’ at a comfortable pace along with the vocals, eventually winding down into a darker, wider-sounding bridge, complete with ambient screams. This tempo and mood carry the song to its end.
3 – Blood Runs Not
This song is a mid-tempo crusher! A consistent blastbeat carries the main riffs, with vocals that creep slowly, maintaining a powerful tone that really aids the sonic space in the verse sections. The bridge is a slower, more punishing section. Vocals here were delivered especially raw. This part is revisited at the end of the song, with lyrics aiming to condemn someone/something – “Blood runs not. Your neck spills lies, instead.”
4 – Seek to Betray
Starting fast and grim, then transitioning to a satisfying mid-tempo roll. The two main riffs of this song compliment each other perfectly. The vocal writing and recording process was particularly fun. There are a lot of rhythms and tonal changes here that don’t show up in the other tracks.
5 – Upheaval and Arson
Another great fast-mid tempo song. This is one of the more exciting tracks on the album. Lots of power in the low growls, with the intention of creating a ‘sharper’ tone in the verse sections. These vocals are just angry. Musically, this song is one of the more satisfying ones. With trading riffs and a tasteful solo to help bring the track to a close, it stands with ‘Lay Fire’ and ‘Deicidal Usurper’ as one of the faster, meaner songs.
6 – ..of Quivering Doves
Hello doom. This is one that hearkens back to the previous EP’s doomier songs – A definite evolution of that style. This song should signal to the listener that the album is nearing a close, as it (along with the final track) aims to illustrate some kind of aftermath. It was also the perfect sonic aesthetic to attach the image of ‘quivering doves’ to. This song is a desolate winter, where doves lay and quiver, helplessly dying along with the hope that they represent.
7 – Deicidal Usurper
Aaaaaand we’re back to fast, grim, and mean! Deicidal Usurper grabs the listener right out of the gate, reminding them of the earlier tracks. This song has another ambient bridge section, which hangs on just long enough to thrust the listener back into the main riff for the next verse-chorus. The solo in this song is tasteful and proud, with ambient screams feeding the atmosphere behind it. The outro is a bit of a victory-verse feel, winding down into a harpsichord section that introduces the final track.
8 – In Exitium Caeli
The final track is hypnotic doom and gloom. ‘In Exitium Caeli’ is a second imagining of the aesthetic ideas left with the listener in ‘..of Quivering Doves’ – the final realization of those ideas. It seemed perfectly fitting to introduce such a song with the line “There is nothing.” – Sometimes the most basic imagery feels the best. The song continues on, with a repeating riff and a consistent drumbeat. The song ends with hypnotic guitar leads along the vocals chanting “Exitio Caeli” – “Destroy the sky” or in this case, “Destroy heaven”.
L-R – JC – Vocals, RM – Guitars/Bass/Keyboards
Plague Weaver is a black/doom metal band hailing from Ontario, Canada. The band was birthed in 2018 as a solo project by RM whom released two EPs, 2019’s self-titled debut and 2020’s ‘Through the Sulphur Eyes’. Both releases displayed traditional black metal roots delivered through a modern, doom-inspired atmosphere.
Joined in 2020 with the addition of new vocalist JC taking care of lyrics and vocal arrangments, Plague Weaver started its next chapter as a duo and quickly began work on creating punishing, grim, riff-driven black metal for the next assault entitled ‘Ascendant Blasphemy’. Set for release in 2021, their first full length is an evolution from its predecessors. More aggressive, and riff-driven but without abandoning Plague Weaver’s doom-inspired roots that can be heard on such tracks as ‘In Exitium Caeli’ and ‘..of Quivering Doves’. Overall, there’s a lot of musical variety across the new record, and a consistency to hold everything together, from start to finish. The album’s lyrics are a loose concept written by JC that follows a series of Satanic philosophies or questions considered from a Satanic perspective, illustrated to a loose fictional ideal. This album aims to invigorate and distress the listener.
“Ascendant Blasphemy” is due out February 26, 2021.
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